


Won't Close My Eyes and Hide the Truth Inside

by KestraEchoWolf



Series: Miraculous 2k18 Music Challenge [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 'Stand my Ground' by Within Temptation, Adrien is a prince, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- Gods and Goddesses, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Final Battle, Flirting, For Pandachu-Crossing, Gabriel Is Not Hawkmoth, Goddess of Creation Incarnate, Holy gods what have I done?, I don't own the song or the original characters, Japanese flavoring, Just the plot, Kitsune/Rena Rogue/Alya, Kyowagasa/Peacock Miraculous/Hints at Nathaniel ;), Language, Many akumas mentioned, Marinette is PISSED, Miraculous 2k18 Music Challenge request, Miraculous Freeform, Pandachu made me do it!, Past Lives, Reincarnations, Slight role reversal (kinda...), So feel free to despise Hawkmoth as much as I do!, Supernatural Influences, Violence, shit just got real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-16 20:49:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13644171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KestraEchoWolf/pseuds/KestraEchoWolf
Summary: "Can I request a Marinette/Ladybug final fight scene with Hawkmoth for the song request with Stand My Ground by Within Temptation please? Love your work and the choices of songs for this challenge :)" - Pandachu-crossing(via tumblr)In a time far lost and forgotten, Marinette is coming to terms, yet again, that she is the Goddess of Creation Incarnate. The realization that she is divinity within a mortal body, as always, is a shock. However, with the realization comes more memories of her past lives. This isn't the first time she's fought against Hawkmoth, and it cerainly won't be the last."Hawkmoth didthatto Adrien when I wasn't there," she jabbed a finger at the sleeping prince. "He did that to hisown nephew!And you know why? Because Hawkmoth knew that I was here, hiding away... that was theplan."I can seeWhen you stay low, nothing happensDoes it feel right?





	Won't Close My Eyes and Hide the Truth Inside

**Author's Note:**

> "Can I request a Marinette/Ladybug final fight scene with Hawkmoth for the song request with Stand My Ground by Within Temptation please? Love your work and the choices of songs for this challenge :)" - Pandachu-crossing [(via tumblr)](http://kestraechowolf.tumblr.com/post/170669241326/can-i-request-a-marinetteladybug-final-fight)
> 
> Wow, I didn't expect this story to end the way it did...  
> Pandachu! Ask and you shall recieve! I hope it's up to your hopes and expecations :)
> 
>  
> 
> [Link to song AMV](https://youtu.be/O32x1karb28)

This battle had gone on far longer than Marinette initially realized. She snorted as she gazed down at the ladybug earrings in her hand, Tikki gently holding her fingertips in her tiny paws. To anyone outside her and others of the Miraculous Circle, this battle against Hawkmoth spanned for only five years... not lifetimes. Tikki was right, it was fate that she received the ladybug earrings. They were hers; they belonged to her... since the beginning. Eons ago, in a time forgotten by humans, she  _made_ this Miraculous. Her sapphire blue eyes lifted to look into her kwami's deep amethyst gaze. "You knew."

"I'm sorry Marinette," Tikki whispered softly. "I wanted to tell you for so long. I didn't know how."

Pieces of her talks with Tikki began falling into place. The tiny kwami had told her she had guided every ladybug in their struggle against evil since the beginning; her eternal enemy. It appeared that both she and Hawkmoth had been enemies for far longer than she realized up until now. They were soulmates destined to clash in battle, trying to outdo the other in hopes of gaining control over all of Creation. Tikki told her he almost succeeded once, and Atlantis was the price paid to correct the balance that Chulo, her enemy's name at the time, had warped. Marinette remembered the dreams she had growing up. What odd dreams they were for a child of only five or seven, dreaming of sinking cities, crumbling mountains or splitting chasms.

Now she understood why.

She was literally a Goddess of Creation... created to walk the world in a mortal shell and walk the world until the day she died, only to be reborn again in another life.

Amereti

Thea

Zafira

Nala

Those were only a small number of names, but they were all recorded in some small way in the world's history. She left clues for her future self; reminding her, warning her, and guiding her so that she wouldn't forget the Chaos Bringer.

"Are you alright Marinette?" Tikki asked timidly as if afraid of the answer she'd hear.

Tears began to brim in the raven-haired woman's eyes as she stroked a finger over her beloved familiar's head. "You never forgot me, even though I keep needing to be reminded every time," she choked out. "I'm sorry Tikki. I'm afraid I'm not the best goddess in the world." Her voice cracked at the end.

"You are still young," the kwami told her sweetly. "You're still learning. This is only your third world you've protected in your existence. Honestly, you're doing far better than many older gods if they were in your position. Creation knows how to bend and change with time, it makes you the perfect fit against your foe. This won't be your last battle against Hawk Moth forever I'm afraid, but when you triumph you will gain some peace for at least a little while."

 _And then it happens all over again,_ Marinette thought bitterly. It was an endless cycle and even now she didn't know how to break it.

Standing, she smoothed her kimono free of wrinkles and brushed dirt from her knees. She slipped her earrings back into place and pulled her raven hair over them so to keep them out of sight. Tikki followed her mistress as she wandered the compound to the medical wing where Marinette's beloved lay resting. Adrien had days where he looked better, the kwami thought. She stayed behind at the door so to give her mistress and her love some privacy.

Marinette knelt by Adrien's futon and gently pressed her wrist to his forehead. She let out a soft sigh of relief when she realized his fever had finally broken. She took a cloth from the bowl by his head and dipped it into the cooling water to clean his face from sweat. Suddenly, Adrien's hand shot up and caught her wrist in a savage grip. His fingertips curled forward, and Marinette cursed herself for forgetting her ninja training. If he had been transformed and wearing his Chat Noir claws, he would've easily shredded her skin. She responded and grabbed the end of his pinky between her thumb and forefinger, pinched as hard as she could and began to bend it back. Adrien hissed in pain, and his body jerked as he tried to use his other arm, only to cry out as the bandages kept the limb firmly bound to his side and chest.

"Easy!" Marinette hushed him. "It's me, Adrien! Calm down." Tired jade eyes flickered open and Adrien swallowed back another groan of pain. She held his eyes until recognition lit somewhere in their foggy depths. "It's Marinette."

"Mari?" Adrien's grip went slack and he went still in his bed. Marinette released her hold on the pressure point and held his hand more tenderly.

"It's me, my prince." Adrien snorted but didn't bother correcting her this time, as he had done thousands of times before.  _I'm nothing but a bastard son and a disgraced prince who lost his crown,_ he would tell her.  _Just call me Adrien._ But she couldn't, he would always be  _her_ prince. "Does anything hurt? Do you need more medicine?"

"Just my pride and there's no medicine for that," he answered in a clipped tone. He opened his eyes and a slight smile twisted in the corner of his lips. "I already looked for that and Fu says he has yet to master that bit of remedy." Marinette laughed softly despite herself and pressed a kiss to his bandaged fingers. "What happened?" he asked.

"We had a spy among our ranks. Two of Hawkmoth's akumas, Stormy Weather and the Mime ambushed your team. Papillion had a vision and we were able to get to you in time before they killed you," she told him gently. She will forever be indebted to Adrien's recluse father for his warning. Without it, she was sure Hawkmoth would've succeeded in killing his nephew. Despite what Adrien thought, Gabriel did acknowledge him as his son, though it seemed only to her, no matter how illegitimate his origins were. The only reason he had a claim to the throne at all is that he was the only son of the late Empress Felicity.

"A spy?"

"Volpina in disguise as Kitsune," Marinette spat out, her mind flashing back to the memory of finding her best friend locked in one of their own holding cells here in the compound, beaten, starving and dehydrated. The only thing that was keeping her alive was Trixx and the fox kwami was staying dormant inside her Miraculous.

"I'll gut the witch," Adrien hissed as he tried to sit up. "Bring me my kunai* and I will do it here and now."

"No more bloodshed," Marinette eased him back. "Not tonight and  _not_ in a wing that's designated for healing. If you get up again, I will strap you down!"

Adrien chuckled and wagged his blond brows, "Is that a promise?"

"I'd slap you if you weren't bedridden," she hissed, cheeks turning pink and pressed her palm over his mouth. "Not one more word, my prince."

Adrien gazed up at her innocently and pressed a kiss to her palm in surrender before she pulled away. "As you wish my lady." Marinette's heart jumped slightly in her chest and she leaned down to kiss him softly in return.

"Sleep. I'll be back to check on you in the morning."

"You won't stay by my side while I sleep?" Adrien pouted. "What if I have a nightmare?"

"I can promise you that you won't have bad dreams, my love," Marinette smiled. "And I'm restless. If I stay here, I'll only fidget and you won't get any sleep at all."

"You could sleep here by my side," already his eyes were drooping closed.

"Sleep my mighty Black Lion. When morning comes and you wake, I will be right here to greet you."

Adrien's eyes drooped closed at last and his breathing began to come long and deep, but he was fighting. "Promise?"

"I promise. Sleep and dream sweetly."

"My dreams... are sweetest with... you...in........them..."

Marinette held her breath and counted to thirty before getting to her feet. She turned and saw Plagg had joined Tikki in the doorway, both familiars eyeing her carefully. "He won't thank you for putting him to sleep like that," the destruction kwami warned the goddess.

"It's the only way he'll let me go. This needs to end and I swear by my life it will end  _tonight."_

"I can't stop you," Plagg muttered. "But we would both feel better if you  _did_ stay and wait for him to recover so that you both can fight Hawkmoth together."

"Hawkmoth did  _that_ to Adrien when I wasn't there," she jabbed a finger at the sleeping prince. "He did that to his  _own nephew!_ And you know why? Because Hawkmoth knew that I was here, hiding away... that was the  _plan."_

 

I can see  
When you stay low, nothing happens

 

"So that you both could strike him when he least expects it. You're a healer and a creator, my lady. You were just brought here five years ago into this life and while your training is better than most at this stage, it still isn't enough to beat your enemy-"

 

Does it feel right?

 

"It's going to have to be enough. We're leaving tonight, Plagg," Tikki spoke up. The destruction kwami rounded on his mate and balance in shock. Tikki, while quite able in a fight, had been a pacifist and both his and Fu's biggest ally in quelling Marinette's growing impatience to fight Hawkmoth herself.

"I will never get another night of restful sleep if I don't do something," Marinette announced, granite strength edging her quiet tone.

 

Late at night  
Things I thought, I put behind me  
Haunt my mind

 

Plagg's whiskers drooped and he bowed to the Goddess of Creation incarnate. "Well then, I can at least tell the master I tried."

Marinette took the cat kwami's paws gently with her fingertips and brought him close. She pressed a gentle kiss to his head and smiled at him. "My lord and mate couldn't ask for a better familiar, Plagg." Plagg disengaged and flew away to join his master's side, transforming into a black cat so that he may keep vigil. When he turned to look, both Marinette and Tikki were gone.

"May all the gods, new and old, watch over you, young one," Plagg mewed softly. He laid down, tucking his paws comfortably under him to keep warm and shut his eyes.

* * *

Albeit Ladybug had only been in training for this battle for the last five years, she moved swiftly and silently in the fading twilight. She jumped from shadow to shadow as they elongated to join the dark of night. The only sign of her presence was a brief flash of red from her red and black suit and her scarlet Miraculous earrings. She probably traveled faster than necessary and reached the palace before the sun had fully set. It was massive, with an equally enormous wall that surrounded the fortress. The guard fires were already lit for the night.

She breathed deeply through her face mask to steady her heartbeat and caught sight of Stormy Weather patroling the skies. Her hands clenched into fists, her resolve strengthening. She felt Tikki's magic through their bond, ready to come at her command. Ladybug would take particular pleasure knowing that demoness would return to hell in the most painful way possible once she finished her master and puppeteer.

 

I just know there's no escape now  
Once it sets its eyes on you  
But I won't run, have to stare it in the eye

 

She looked up and watched as the guards exchanged words with others on the opposite side of the wall before disappearing into the small towers that lead down.  _Now!_ Drawing her bandalore, Ladybug twirled her weapon and threw it.  _I am silent like the night, I am as unseen and invisible as the wind,_ she chanted to herself as she tugged and allowed the cord of her weapon to draw her upwards at a flying speed. She flipped onto the wall and carefully peeked over the wall while keeping Stormy Weather in her sight. Thankfully the akuma had her back to Ladybug. Once the grounds were clear and the new set of guards disappeared into the elevators to take up their posts, Ladybug jumped down into the wall's shadow and hid under a nearby tree. The minute she touched its bark, she felt her magic flow out of her palm and feed into the starving plant. Its leaves instantly grew greener and thicker, shielding her from sight. Marinette looked up and saw its spirit peeking out at her through the bark.

"Thank you, my brother," she whispered.

"No, thank you," the tree whispered back, its words as quiet as an evening breeze. Taking a breath, Ladybug looked over the terrain, mapping her way mentally through the carefully manicured garden trees. It didn't seem that difficult until she reached the end and the base of the palace steps.  _There's no turning back now,_ she scolded herself as she realized her miscalculation of how many steps she'd actually need to climb. The stairs were too open for her to use and the chance of being spotted was far too high. _But what enemy would guess an assault to come from its own front doors,_ she asked herself. Reaffirming her goal in her mind, she took off into the darkness.

 

Stand my ground, I won't give in  
No more denying, I got to face it  
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside  
If I don't make it, someone else will stand my ground

 

 _"Do you feel the land, Tikki? It's starving here even though Hawkmoth feasts on the village tributes,"_ Ladybug thought. The kwami didn't reply, but she saw a picture form in her mind's eye of how the land would look to Tikki.

 

It's all around  
Getting stronger, coming closer

 

She watched the two worldviews merge; the one Marinette saw day to day and the veins of magical light that Tikki saw and watched as black threads wove in and out of everything; sapping the life and magic out of the very land itself.

 

Into my world  
(My world)

 

Something flashed in the corner of Ladybug's eye, and she caught onto a branch to halt her movement. She turned to look at the granite bridge that crossed over the moat, wondering what it was that itched at her. Then she saw it, a metal grate that hung half-covering a storm drain. The flash was a bit of silver that hadn't rusted yet... and hollow bamboo reeds were growing along the bank. Inspiration struck, and she glanced up to check Stormy Weather's position. It seemed her luck was holding and the akuma still hadn't noticed her. 

 _"What if the drains don't go where we need to go?"_ Tikki asked through their link.  _"We could get lost in there."_

Ladybug hummed softly and unhooked her bandalore from her belt. Forming her plan in pictures, she showed Tikki what she had in mind. The kwami went quiet, but Ladybug could feel her hesitation. Ladybug darted into the water and bit back a hiss at the freezing temperature. She broke a reed tube and blew out any fibers or insects that she could inhale accidentally before she tied one end of her weapon, to a ring set in the wall.  _"These drains have to remain clear,"_ she told her kwami.  _"That means humans need to be able to come down here to clear away any debris or else water will back up, and the palace can flood."_

Holding her weapon carefully, she pushed onward, praying the whole time that there was an exit close by. At least her suit was waterproof, but not temperature resistant, unfortunately. And ladybugs  _hate_ the cold. It felt like hours passed when she finally found an exit and peeked through the grate. She was in luck! She counted to sixty and didn't hear anything other than the soft rush of the water she stood in. Could her luck really be that good? She gave a yank and winced as the grate screeched loudly.

"What was that?" someone asked.

Ladybug instantly let go and pushed herself flush against the ice cold wall. She felt Tikki protest and willed her kwami to quiet and offering apologies. She watched as Copycat and Jackady both appear over her head and searched for the disturbance.

"Is it a hinge?" Jackady asked and Ladybug heard them check the doors and windows. She took the opportunity and hurried away.

 _"Ladybug, get out of this water! I can't keep holding the transformation if we don't get somewhere warm,"_ Tikki warned. Obeying, Ladybug took her only other option for an exit and thrust her shoulder into another opening. The grate gave way and she yanked her bandalore's cord free. As the line rewound itself back into place, she climbed out of the freezing water and gasped softly as new heat flooded her body.  _"Praise the sun and stars!"_

 

I can feel  
That it's time for me to face it

 

 _"Agreed,"_ Ladybug shared the sentiment and looked around to gather her bearings. She was in the throne room. Then... a mad idea sparked in her brain. She smirked and marched up the steps to gaudy seat and sat down in it.

 

Can I take it?

 

 _"Here?"_ Tikki asked, aghast.

 _"Here. I will take the throne for Adrien. I will banish this palace's demons and restore the Miraculous Circle's honor. Tonight!"_ Rearing back, she threw her bandalore and struck the massive gong.

 

Though this might just be the ending  
Of the life I held so dear

 

She retracted her weapon and threw it again, and again, striking the gong each time until she heard footsteps running down the halls.

 

But I won't run, there's no turning back from here

 

 _"Bring me Hawkmoth!"_ Ladybug bellowed, her voice ringing out as servants skidded to a halt in the doorways and leading into the throne room.  _"Tell him to come and face me like a man!"_

People scattered and Copycat and Jackady appeared in their places. "Ladybug," they snarled in outrage, eyes turning red at her presence.

Ladybug returned their looks defiantly, back straight in her seat with one foot tucked neatly behind her ankle. "My quarrel isn't with you, demons; not directly. Bring me your master and I will set you both free of his hold."

"And send us back to hell," Copycat spat.

Ladybug narrowed her eyes, "That depends on your actions. I see that slave mark Hawkmoth has put upon you. I doubt you'd openly obey him without them." The two brethren demons shared a look. Outside, thunder crashed and lightning streaked the sky. Ladybug's lips turned upward in a grin. "I take it Stormy Weather has been informed of my presence."

The two guards stiffened and noted the raven-haired woman's sopping wet hair. Another clap of thunder and Stormy Weather appeared in the window, her eyes murderous when she saw Ladybug sitting on her lord's throne. Hawkmoth's mark burned hotly against her skin, but it didn't appear to pain the akuma. Suddenly, Ladybug understood her distinct advantage by choosing this room in particular. She met Stormy Weather's eyes. "Hawkmoth has forbidden his akumas from entering the throne room? How advantageous for me."

Stormy Weather screeched her rage, "You are not worthy of that seat,  _bug._ I will fry you like I did the cat and serve you with dumplings and noodles!"

Ladybug's eyes turned into icy chips of blue. "You will pay for that," she promised. "I have a banishing sutra with your name on it, Stormy Weather and mark my words I have it blessed in blue moon holy water to make your journey back to hell  _unforgettable._ But if you insist on teaching me some sort of lesson, come down here and do it." Stormy Weather gripped her Kyowagasa* so hard Ladybug was surprised she didn't snap it in two.

"Such bold words for a bug that's about to die." Ladybug heard the cold voice, but she didn't expect it to come so close to her ear. She cursed herself for letting her guard down and turned, drawing a kunai knife out of her belt just as a shuriken whizzed down and bounced off the blade. Hawkmoth's avatar hovered only five feet away from her, meeting her blue eyes with coldly intelligent insect black ones. He transformed into himself; his gray mask stretched over his whole face except for his mouth, chin and platinum blond hair. "You dare to place yourself in my throne, Ladybug? After all this fighting,  _now_ you take your place?"

Ladybug spat at his feet. "I am not here to join you Hawkmoth. I am here to avenge Prince Adrien and restore the Miraculous Circle to its rightful place!"

Hawkmoth hummed, "So my nephew is dead. You speak from heartbreak."

"Adrien is alive and recovering," Ladybug boasted and took satisfaction in Hawkmoth's blink of surprise. "Black cats are almost impossible to kill."

 

Stand my ground, I won't give in

 

"No matter, it just means I need to dig up the garden even more to destroy the root of the weed," Hawkmoth growled back.

"The only weed I see here is  _you!"_ Ladybug threw her knife, surprising the moth enough when the blade sliced at his mask. She leaped at him in a screech of rage, only to fall down the steps as his copy dissolved in a cloud of smoke. She landed hard on the floor and rolled just as darts penetrated the spot she was just in.

No more denying, I got to face it  
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside  
If I don't make it, someone else will stand my ground

 

Outside, thunder clapped hard and Stormy Weather shrieked in mad laughter. "Let me kill her for you master," she volunteered. "I'll fry her with a single lightning bolt."

"You already tried that and failed miserably," Ladybug goaded and Stormy Weather growled something indecipherable at her. The scarlet ninja ignored her and turned just in time to deflect another areal weapon, a kunai knife. "Besides, I'm fighting  _Hawkmoth_ now. So silence children! Let the adults finish talking."

"Indeed, silence Stormy Weather," Hawkmoth ordered as he dropped down on Ladybug from overhead. Ladybug's luck kicked in once more as her bandalore caught the blade of his sword and deflected it. She twisted and kicked into his stomach, throwing her enemy into the stairs leading to the throne. Retracting her weapon, she twisted the shell open and extended her bow staff. Hawkmoth narrowed his eyes.

"I see you've learned a new trick."

"I've learned a lot from Fu this time around," Ladybug answered.  _"Tortuga_ does his ancestors proud."

Hawkmoth sneered, "I should've guessed the mad fool was the turtle. I won't make that mistake twice."

"Oh, I agree," Ladybug twirled her bow staff threateningly.

 

All I know for sure is I'm trying  
I will always stand my ground

 

The two warriors circled each other before lunging into an attack. They clashed over and over, the sound of ringing weapons filling the throne room. More of Hawkmoth's akumas appeared in the doorways and windows to watch; some sharing Stormy Weather's crazy glee each time Hawkmoth's blade sliced at a piece of Ladybug's armor, others staying stoically quiet.

 

Stand my ground, I won't give in  
(I won't give in)

 

"Why do you continue to fight me, Ladybug?!" Hawkmoth demanded, spitting out blood from a split lip. "We could have  _everything_ together. It's never too late to join my side and my throne. Every time we fight each other, you risk losing something precious."

Ladybug's memory flashed to a time long forgotten, when she was Zafira of Atlantis. She banished the memory, refusing to lose her sanity again. Her mistake back then was costly, and it was a price she refused to pay this time.

 _"It wasn't your fault,"_ Tikki reminded her.  _"He tricked you. Chulo was a master of shapeshifting magic, a skill he thankfully didn't recover in this life. You are not Zafira this time, my mistress. Don't let him get into your head."_

"You remember Atlantis?" Hawkmoth asked, surprised.

"I remember."

"Then you remember that I  _always_ keep my promises."

Ladybug clenched her weapon tightly and she met Hawkmoth's eyes. "Your lies is what warped the balance! It  _sunk_ Atlantis!"  _It drowned us all,_ she finished silently.

 

I won't give up  
(I won't give up)  
No more denying, I got to face it

 

"I won't be tricked twice Hawkmoth. I will come back to ensure you never gain control over any of the Miraculouses,  _ever._ Not even until the worlds fall in the end and we return to Father Universe and Mother Flame. Your time will never come so long as I'm around! This world is not yours to command and you know it. It belongs to _me and Adrien!_ "

 

Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside  
If I don't make it, someone else will

 

Hawkmoth's face twisted in rage and his sword split into two blades. "There is no reasoning with you. If you refused to join me, I will kill you where you stand!" His speed surprised Ladybug and she brought up her staff, but barely deflected one attack as the other blade sliced her mask and her skin close to her eye. Blood spilled from the wound and she felt the sting of something foreign enter the cut as she darted away and drew out smoke bombs from somewhere within her suit. She threw them to the ground and scarlet mist spread all throughout the throne room. She moved just as Hawkmoth threw knife after knife in her direction, following the sound of her footsteps. "I've had enough of this," the moth snapped. Summoning his wings, he beat them twice and lifted in the air. The gusts of wind blew the mist away and revealed Ladybug standing in a corner, eyes locked on him. He smirked and opened his wings wide, bringing his swords up to strike,  _"Vertigo!"_

Ladybug's eyes widened in alarm and she threw her bow staff into the air,  _"Lucky Charm!"_ Keeping her eyes on her magic, she felt her surroundings distort to where she couldn't tell if she was standing on the floor or hanging from the ceiling. Her weapon fell, transformed into a completely different item.  _"A lantern?!"_ Okay, what could she do with a lantern? She couldn't see straight... her head was beginning to pound.

"Feeling dizzy bug?" Hawkmoth's voice echoed in her ears. Blurry copies surrounded her, their weapons all pointed directly at her throat. "And it seems your luck has finally run out. Out of all items you summon, it's a useless one."

Ladybug stumbled back as one copy lunged at her. She brought up a hand to her throat out of instinct and twisted around so not to stumble into another one of Hawkmoth's images.  _"Any ideas, Tikki?"_ She could feel her kwami scrambling through their link, trying to reorder Marinette's mind from the inside. Her work was taking too long and Ladybug felt one of Hawkmoth's blades slice her hair at the shoulder.

"You're running out of time."

"So are you," Ladybug snapped back, keeping her eyes focused on the lantern. She looked at one copy and noticed something; something she should've seen each time Hawkmoth used this move on her. While looking at the lantern, she saw the copy's feet in the corner of her eye. What she didn't see... was a  _shadow._

 

Stand my ground, I won't give in

 

 _"That's it!"_ The thought rang in tandem between her and Tikki. Reaching into her kimono, she retrieved the foxfire matches that Kitsune's had given her over a year ago. She had told Ladybug that they would ignite, even when wet. A warning chime rang from somewhere close to Marinette's right where six Hawkmoth copies stood, dancing back and forth as they planned to strike. Ladybug heard a responding chime from her own earrings, warning the woman she only had minutes left until her transformation ran out. She pulled a match out of the box and struck it on the side of the lantern. Blue and orange fire ignited instantly and she lit the wick inside. The lantern glowed brilliantly, casting bright beams of scarlet all throughout the room. The light hit each copy, but none of them cast a shadow. She turned and a line of light suddenly caught an attacking copy right in the eyes, making him shriek in pain.

 

No more denying, I got to face it

 

It was all the signal Ladybug needed. She rushed at him clumsily and grabbed at the butterfly brooch on his chest. Pain seared her palm and she shrieked in agony as she tore the emblem from Hawkmoth's chest and destroyed his transformation. His form distorted instantly and twisted into something inhuman before her eyes. "Your time is at an end, Hawkmoth!" she told him, her powers making her voice echo as if they were inside a cave.

Ladybug pulled a sutra that she kept close to her heart and held it in front of Hawkmoth's four red eyes. Suddenly, she was surrounded by dozens of incarnations of herself; of all races, colors, faces, and pasts. She met Zafira's eyes. How she knew this woman  _was_ Zafira, she would never know... but Marinette knew she wasn't wrong. The pain in that incarnation's eyes was so terrible that she felt like crying all over again just seeing her.

 

Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside

 

 _"It's not your fault,"_ Tikki's voice ran out and it spilled from her lips. Zafira gasped and Marinette felt her own heart jolt... as if she were speaking to herself in a time long gone. Zafira's lips pulled upwards into a tentative smile and she raised her hands in the same sutra pose that Ladybug stood in now. Each incarnation followed suit, knowing that it was time once again.

 

If I don't make it, someone else will stand my ground

 

_"I cast you out of my realm, Chaos Bringer!_

_I cleanse the body you have stolen!_

_Your hold on this world is now forever BROKEN!"_

 

The sutra blazed in Ladybug's hand and flew to Hawkmoth's chest. It smoked, making the chaos being shriek and morph over and over again in an attempt to shed it off his skin. The changes were dizzying to watch, but Ladybug  _had_ to keep her eyes on the sutra. If she broke her concentration now, Hawkmoth would use the chance to escape. Finally, the sutra blazed brighter and Hawkmoth's body froze in a mid-agonizing scream. A sound, much like a bell, tolled and his form disintegrated into ashes, leaving behind Adrien's uncle Michael. He was far older than Hawkmoth portrayed him and his clothes were terribly wrinkled.

Ladybug raised her eyes to the akumas, all watching her with terrified looks. She opened her hands and clapped them loudly, the sound seeming to carry farther than the throne room. Instantly they fled.

* * *

As Marinette promised, Adrien woke from a peaceful night's rest a few hours after dawn, as was his habit. She was there at his side with a tray of food and a warm smile. However, he did not look immediately pleased to see her. Her smile faltered. "What's wrong?"

Adrien reached up and motioned her closer. She bent forward and he caught a lock of her hair in his fingers. "You cut your hair." She blushed, pushing back the now shoulder-length raven strands as they fell into her face. "You hate it when it gets in your face- what's this?" He turned her head to the side and stared at the cut. "Marinette," he prompted, his voice a razor-sharp edge.

"It's nothing, my prince, just a cut."

"By a  _blade,"_ Adrien growled, glaring at the mark. "Who dare raised a blade against you?! Is that the reason why your hair is short now? Tell me who it is and I'll-"

"Adrien, calm down, _please._ It's nothing, honest. Tikki already cleaned it and the worst I'll have is a faint scar."

"That's not the point Marinette!"

"Hawkmoth," Plagg butted in, startling the master of destruction badly. Adrien looked at his familiar in confusion. "She doesn't want to tell you she went up against Hawkmoth  _last night_ while you were  _asleep."_

Adrien gaped, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He sat up hurriedly with his good arm, ignoring the pains of his still healing injuries. "You fought  _Hawkmoth?_ Are you injured anywhere else?"

"I'm fine," Marinette caught his hand. "I'm pretty tired, but other than some bruises, cracked ribs, and the cut, I'm unharmed."

 _"*Kujaku!"_ Adrien bellowed, surprising both the cat and the woman, for the peacock healer. "You stupid,  _stupid_ woman, were you trying to get yourself killed?! What would we have done if Hawkmoth defeated you and took your Miraculous? Where would we b- _mmph!"_

Marinette sealed her lips over her love's, silencing his rants. She poured her love for him into that kiss and felt him return the affection just as hotly. His hand dropped from her cheek to her neck, tilting her head back and slanting his lips over hers. He opened his mouth carefully, desire spurring him further as he silently traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, asking for entrance. But once she gave it, he plundered into her mouth, stealing her breath and pulling her back with him onto the futon. Suddenly she broke away with a yelp as her ribs protested the movement. Instantly he slowed and pressed another kiss to her uninjured cheek.

"You're still in so much trouble," he muttered hotly in her ear.

"Will it help if you know that Hawkmoth is gone?" she asked breathlessly, pulling away and pushing back her hair past her ears.

Adrien gaped dubiously at her, "I'm dreaming. I didn't just hear you say that." Plagg rolled his eyes, fed up with his master's antics and bit him on the ear.  _"Ow!"_

"Believe it, kit," Plagg told him. The cat sat up and nodded to Marinette. "There is a saying: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Hawkmoth didn't stand a chance after what he commanded his akumas to do to you and the others. Now since you are awake, I'm going to go find my mate." And he was gone in a flash of emerald light.

Adrien blushed, rubbing the sting out of his ear. "Hawkmoth is really gone?"

Marinette nodded, "And your uncle is free."

"Michael is really alive?!"

"And aged far beyond his years," she told him in a murmur. "The palace healers were tending to him when I left."

"I can't believe he's alive after all this."

"I don't think he will be for long. Which means, the throne is in need of a new Emperor." Adrien flinched and Marinette took his hand in hers. "My prince, despite what you think, the people love you. They know you haven't abandoned them and they will welcome you back to the throne with open arms."

"After all that's happened, how can you be so sure?"

She smiled, "Well, I am the daughter of two wonderful peasant bakers from the northern mountains. Not that it counts for anything."

"You're  _not_ a nobody and you know it," Adrien growled at her, hearing the insinuation in her voice. His eyes glowed a bright green and hers responded in a brilliant summer sky blue. For a moment, they saw each other for what they truly were: a god and a goddess, both in balance and harmony with each other, and in love, trapped in mortal shells as part of their test for their right to rule in the Heavens.

"I never said a word, my prince," she replied with a giggle and dropped another kiss to his lips. "Now, let's get you fed before your breakfast gets cold."

"I take it my services are  _not_  needed at this time?" A red-headed healer asked from the open door. Nathaniel grinned knowingly as Marinette jumped back, smoothing her hands over her simple kimono and wincing as she brushed at some of her bruised spots. His Peacock Miraculous flashed in the morning light as he bowed to the couple and walked away without another word.

"You should've still stuck to the plan," Adrien muttered. Marinette rolled her eyes and got up from her seat.

"If you're strong enough to argue, you're strong enough to feed yourself."

"Wait!" Adrien's hand flashed out and caught her hem. She stopped and looked down at him. "I'm sorry, I'm a fool... but I love you Marinette, with all my heart and soul. I don't like the thought of you facing  _him_ without me by your side to protect you."

Marinette's heart thumped softly in her chest and she knelt back down at his side. "I love you too Adrien. I love you so much that it pains me to see you fall in battle, even if it's for me. I don't  _want_ you to fight for me, even though I know you will and you have to. Just know that I will fight for you too." When she stroked his cheek carefully, minding the bandage near his ear, he caught sight of a jade flash from beneath her sleeve. He caught her hand gently and pressed a warm kiss to her fingertips, then to her palm, and then higher up on her wrist where his lucky bracelet lay; the very one she made for him all those years ago.

"Marinette... will you marry me?"

The raven-haired woman blinked, surprised. Adrien had always been a romantic, and yet this moment, this time, felt all the more special. She smiled warmly and Adrien felt as if she were casting sunshine on his face after a cold winter's night. "Of course, my prince. But first, we need to get you healed up and your strength back." She picked up the chopsticks and rice bowl off the tray, preparing to feed him.

Adrien blinked dubiously, elated that she agreed but confused at the same time. "Why wait?"

Marinette arched a brow, "Well... with my ribs and your wounds, I doubt we'd be the best of bed partners." She blushed, "And your throne  _will_ need heirs."

Adrien gaped and she took the opportunity to pass rice into his mouth. "My lady," he said through his mouthful. "You've become quite bold in our time apart." His green eyes burned with a light that made her shiver. "I love it. And out of all 'bed partners', as you call them, I doubt you would be flawed in any way. But if you're that concerned,  _our_ throne does need heirs. Plenty of them. I'm thinking th-"

"Oh shut up and eat you stupid cat!" Marinette blushed and passed another serving of rice into his mouth.

Adrien laughed anyway, the sound rich and real as it came from somewhere deep inside him. "As you wish, my lady."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Kunai- commonly portrayed as a steel knife that is used for stabbing or particularly throwing, sometimes confusing it with the shuriken.
> 
> Kitsune- Japanese- Fox
> 
> Kyowagasa- A Japanese style umbrella completely handmade, colors and images are of Japanese features, materials are also strictly controlled. The handle and scaffold are made from bamboo of Kameoka, Kyoto; the umbrella skin is made from Meinong paper of Gifu. (YAY GOOGLE)
> 
> Kujaku- Japanese- Peacock
> 
> You can find me on [my FB page,](https://www.facebook.com/KestraEchoWolf/) [Tumblr,](http://kestraechowolf.tumblr.com/) [and Twitter](https://twitter.com/KestraEchoWolf/) to leave comments and prompt requests!  
> [Buy Me a Coffee](https://ko-fi.com/X8X26UWA)
> 
> Also here is the [master post to my Miraculous 2k18 Music Challenge on my Tumblr blog](http://kestraechowolf.tumblr.com/post/170532971476/miraculous-music-challenge-2018-break-the-block)
> 
> I update that list and the one linked to my blog directly each time I recieve a challenge :) Challenges are answered in order that they are recieved


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